St. Paul daily globe., 1887-12-29

Nellie of thirteen, who had come with
her two small brothers. 1t was Christ
mas tree party, and about thirty chill
dren were gathered in the draw
ing room of an up town
house. The hostess had wisely cOv-
cred her carpet with dancing crash,
and the room was prettily trimmed with
laurel, branches of holly with the vivid
scarlet berries cleaning against the
glossy green of the leaves, and branches
of evergreen twined about the dOorways.
A cluster of pink roses stood on the
piano. and some great yellow and white
chrvsanthemums on the mantel-piece,
and no one need think that these decor
ations were lost on the little ones. No!
Children are great lovers of the beauti-
full, and cherish 4 blossom as much as
any woman.
"Willie and Alice must have Christ
mas party" said mamma, SO about the
first of the month pretty little invita-
tiOns written by sister Ethel on pink
and blue paper with dove, wreath of
holly. an angel or some such emblem
attic device embossed In one corner,
were sent out TO the little people who
belonged to mammals friends, and to
three of Willie'S schOOlmateS, whom he
begged TO have i'll the list. The invi-
littlest tot invited might have chance
to come, and so that the older children
would know it was a real after-dark
party"
Use got a new DRESS" exclaimed the
first arrival, pretty little Gladys, aged
three, the petted darling of big house
full of adults. She came in her mamma'S
coupe, attended by her bonne, and
looked like an angel all in white lace
over white silk. She was quickly fol-
lowed by Jack and Harry, the two mis-
chieVOuS schoolmateS of the young host.
"ThOse boys are going TO be more
trouble" sighed Ethel, who looked
quite grown up in long dress ard her
hair in twist, as she glanced at their
merry eyes and the nOnchalance with
which they threw their caps upstairs
and tumbled over each other on their
way to the dressing room.
Next came little Tommy TraddleS, an
innocent little tot of six, in blue velvet
knickerbOckers and golden ringletS;
then Bessie, the dark-eyed maid of
eight. who lived next door, and John,
her small brother. and dear little Sam
my and Susie. the five-year-Old twins:
stately little Olga, aged ten, who had
lived III Russia until two years ago; and
Lucy, who was named for mamma,
and MignOn, dark little Spanish
beauty, who could dance; and Dicky
Stout, who would not behave, and AL
gernOn, a tot of four, who bawled for his
mamma as soon as he saw all the little
people: and Arthur and Edmund, two
polite and nice boys of ten, and Jimmie
Drake, who was known as the ''mis-
chief" and Alfred, a small prig of ten,
who despiSed children, but lust came,
you know
There were a number of others, of
course, and it was all very lovely while
the little maidens got out of their wraps
and shone forth in the dainties of laceS
and mullS and pretty ribbons. The thir-
teen boys felt bit shy at the strange
house and Willie'S mamma, but when
they all got into the parlor and sat look
ing at each other and giggling spasmOd-
lcally, mamma looked at Ethel and
Ethel glanced back.
"Oh. the children will entertain them
selves, of course. until the Christmas
tree is shown" said mamma, in arrang-
ing the party, but Ethel said No." and
put her pretty head to thinking up some
entertainment for them.
TIE JOLLY GAME OF DONKEY"
'WhO wants to play .Donkey?'"
said she, standing in the center
of the room. Jack Cried "ChestnutsI"
but all The other children looked
pleased. and so Donkey it was. First
Ethel arranged all the children in
sets together, putting the mischievous
boys by the smallest baby girls. Then
she got biz piece of red glazed paper
and eat Out don key. The donkey had
no tail. But she cut out just thirty
nice paper tails like this: